Heart and Soul
by Francesca Jones
Summary: "I always wanted to learn to play piano. Seems quite foolish to say out loud." Emma and Hook share a moment and a memory, set while wedding venue scouting during The Black Fairy. One-Shot. CaptainSwan (updated with a new endiing)


A/N: I changed the ending to this based on a wonderful suggestion by **Jessjunky**. This is my first OUAT fic and now that it has a more a complete ending, I'm very happy with it. I hope you all enjoy!

 **Heart and Soul**

"You're sure you had this necklace on last time you were here, Swan?" Hook asked. The two held hands as they walked up the path to the Sorcerer's mansion.

"Hmm? Yeah…" Emma trailed off, distracted. She started walking a little faster, tugging his hand to pull him along.

"Easy, love." Hook said with a laugh. "What's the rush?"

"No rush." Emma murmured as they entered the giant house.

"Right." Hook said, taking a step forward to look around. "Where were you fighting Aragog?"

He turned to face Emma and found himself shoved against the wall, Emma's mouth on his as she pressed her warm body against him. He responded in kind, wrapping one arm around her while he carefully kept his hook out of the equation.

When Emma finally pulled away breathlessly, Hook looked at her with an arched eyebrow and a smirk on his face.

"What?" Emma asked innocently, straightening out her red jacket. "It's hot when you reference Harry Potter."

Hook grabbed Emma's waist with his hand and pulled her towards him. "There's no necklace, is there, Swan?"

"There is." Emma said, keeping that feigned innocent tone. She reached up and pulled a gold chain out from under her shirt. "I just didn't lose it."

Hook's smirk widened into a grin. "Why the clever ruse?"

Emma shrugged and ran her hands over his chest. "Don't get me wrong, I love my parents. I just...thought it'd be nice to be alone for a little."

"Nice is one word for it." He growled, pulling her back in for another kiss. They stayed like that for a while, kissing deeply in the mansion's foyer.

"What about having the wedding here?" Emma asked as she caught her breath between kisses.

"I don't think so, love." Hook said, stepping back to look around. "I did kill Merlin, after all. It just...wouldn't feel right."

"Yeah." Emma said quietly. She felt foolish that she hadn't thought about that before making the suggestion. "No, you're right. It's just a beautiful house."

"Aye." Hook agreed. "That it is. We'll find a place, Swan. Your mother will make sure of that."

Emma smiled at him as she wandered past the foyer and further into the mansion, looking around at all the relics and artifacts that adorned the rooms.

"Merlin definitely didn't travel light." Hook observed, clearly following Emma's gaze around the room. They walked into the ballroom, with its polished wood floor and massive chandelier.

"There's just something about a giant crystal chandelier that big that's so... Phantom of the Opera."

Emma laughed at Hook's comment. "You're full of cultural references today. Have you been practicing?"

"A little too much time with the boy." Hook said with a shrug. "I practically need a dictionary to keep up with him."

Emma responded but Hook didn't hear it. His eyes were fixed on the shiny black grand piano tucked into the corner of the room. He didn't even realize he was moving towards it until he was running his hand over the wood.

"Has this always been here?" He asked, but his voice was distant.

"I guess." Emma said with a shrug. "Why?"

Hook didn't answer. He sat down at the bench and ran his finger over the ivory keys. There wasn't a speck of dust on the amazing instrument. It was if it had been dropped there right before they arrived.

"Hey, Killian." Emma said, sitting next to him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "What's the big deal about an old piano?"

"I…" Hook trailed off and pressed lightly on one of the keys, feeling slightly awed by the noise it produced. Finally he looked at Emma with an embarrassed smile and said, "I always wanted to learn to play piano. Seems quite foolish to say out loud, what with…" He lifted his hook instead of finishing his sentence.

"No." Emma said adamantly, forcing Hook to face her. "Not foolish at all."

Hook's smiled turned soft and he pushed Emma's hair out of her face. "Thanks, love."

"I have to ask though." Emma said, putting her own fingers over the keys. "What made a pirate what to learn to play the piano?"

"Not a pirate, Swan." Hook corrected. "A 10-year-old boy."

"Just lay here, brother." Killian said to Liam, who clearly couldn't get out of his bed if he wanted. He was pale and sweating, and occasionally leaned over to vomit into the bucket his brother had put next to his head. "I'll take care of everything today, I promise."

Even through his debilitating illness, Liam managed to look skeptical of his brother's words. It was no secret that Liam had inherited all the work ethic in the Jones family, while Killian had inherited the penchant for getting into trouble. But the two were equal in their loyalty and devotion to each other, and if his brother needed him then Killian would do his best to be there for him.

"Captain wanted me to go to town for him today." Liam said weakly. "Pick up a parcel from a merchant."

"That's perfect!" Killian exclaimed, his eyes brightening. He whispered, "I'll take the silver coin we found, and use it to buy you medicine."

Liam shook his head. "Killian-."

"Jones, on deck now!" The captain bellowed. They both knew which Jones brother he meant, and Liam struggled to rise. Killian pushed him back down.

"I'll do this, brother. I promise." Killian hurriedly placed the silver coin in his pocket before scurrying up to the deck of the ship. He rushed up to the captain and stood straight up as he was inspected.

"Wrong Jones." The captain sneered. "Where's your brother?"

"Not well, sir." Killian said, puffing out his chest so perhaps he would look braver than he felt. "But I will complete all his tasks. You won't even miss him."

The captain laughed cruelly at that. "Oh I won't, won't I? Because if I'm not mistaking, Liam usually finishes his duties and yours."

Killian was offended even though he knew it was true. "I can do it, sir." He said firmly, hoping that he was doing the right thing and that this wasn't going to result in both he and Liam getting whipped.

The captain studied him for a long time with that cruel sneer on his face.

"Alright." He finally said, looking very pleased with himself. He handed Killian a scroll and said, "Here's the address of the merchant who has my parcel. You are to go right there, retrieve it, and return to the ship. Your brother would be able to complete this task in approximately an hour."

"Then I will too, sir!" Killian exclaimed, taking the offered parchment.

"No." The captain said, grinning an ugly grin. "You'll complete it in 40 minutes. If you don't, it's 20 lashes for you. And 40 for your brother. Understand?"

Killian swallowed thickly, but nodded. 40 minutes would be enough time to get to the merchant and back, but would he be able to find a doctor to sell him medicine for Liam? It was a near-impossible task.

"Well, your time has started, boy. Best be on your way!" The captain bellowed, following it with a hearty laugh as Killian scrambled off the ship and towards town.

He was sprinting through the streets at a breakneck pace. Fortunately, they had spent a good deal of time in port here, and he knew exactly where this merchant was located. He could hear the citizens of the city calling him names as he darted and weaved through the roads and alleys, but he ignored them. His breathing was heavy and his heart pounding out of his chest as he finally stood at the merchant's door, knocking furiously.

Finally the merchant opened the door, and bestowed a friendly smile upon Killian. "You must be the boy Captain Silver sent? Yes, come in! Come in! Usually he sends the fair-haired boy."

"My brother." Killian managed to say, though he was still out of breath. "He's ill today."

"What a shame. Well wait here. I just need to wrap the parcel. I'll be right back."

Killian let out an exasperated sigh as the man ambled off. As he paced the entryway to the home, he heard soft music floating through the house and found himself looking for the source of the sound.

There was a room down the hall and Killian peeked his head in. He saw a boy, probably around Liam's age but better dressed and well-groomed, sitting at a huge, confusing object and moving his fingers over the black and white keys. This seemed to be the origin of the music.

"What is this?" Killian asked the boy, awed.

The boy lifted his eyes from the sheet of musical notes propped in front of him. He flicked an appraising gaze over Killian and said dismissively, "Beethoven's 4th piano concerto. Easy to learn, impossible to master."

"Pi-an-o?" Killian asked, stretching out the syllables of the unfamiliar word.

The boy arched his eyebrows in shock. "You don't know what a piano is? How is that possible?"

Killian shrugged, feeling stupid and embarrassed. "I live on a ship."

"Ah." The boy nodded. "Papa must be trading with the sailors again. This," he gestured to the large black box he was sitting at, "is a piano. Only the finest musical instrument ever created. It has 88 keys, each of which makes a separate, distinctive sound."

"Oh." Killian said, awed. "It sounds...nice."

"Nice." The boy snorted. "Nice, says the pedestrian deckhand." He began to play again, and Killian was transfixed by the sound.

"Is...is it difficult to learn?"

"Yes." The boy responded shortly, still playing. He eyed up Killian again and gestured with his head. "Come here, then. I'll show you."

"Young man, where did you-oh, there you are. You've met my son Robert, I see. Well, here's the package."

"He wants to know more about the piano, father. Can I show him?" Robert asked.

"Of course!" The merchant exclaimed pleasantly. "It's never too early to learn about music. It is the universal language, after all."

Killian hesitantly looked over at the piano, still amazed and transfixed by its existence. But his brother needed him, and he only had about 20 minutes to get to a doctor and back to the ship.

"Thank you." Killian said sincerely. "But I must go."

Before the merchant or his son could say anything, Killian was dashing out the door with the parcel in his hands.

"Never off the ship long enough to learn." Hook murmured, touching the keys. "But from that first time I heard it, I just always thought it was...magical." He turned a self-deprecating smile to Emma. "Told you it was foolish."

"And I told you it wasn't." Emma responded, splaying her fingers over the keys and tapping out Chopsticks.

"You play, Swan?" Hook asked, incredulous.

"You think you're the only orphan that thought the piano was cool?" Emma asked with a smile. "One of my foster moms played. She taught me a couple songs before I bailed. It stuck."

Hook laughed as she transitioned to Mary Had A Little Lamb and then Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. "Not much of a repertoire, Swan."

Emma laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder for a second. Then, with a smile she said, "Give me your hand."

Hook did as requested and Emma showed him how to play the low part of Heart and Soul. "It's easy to tap out with one hand." She said as she guided him.

Hook kept his hand moving and played the few notes with an amused smirk, which turned into a full-on grin when Emma started to play the high part. They played it over and over, going faster and faster until Hook couldn't keep up anymore and they both started laughing.

"I guess you can teach an old pirate new tricks." Emma said with a smile. Hook wrapped an arm around her and she snuggled closer to him. He kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, Swan." He murmured.

"I know. I love you too." Emma said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"And you're sure you don't mind marrying a one-handed pirate who never learned to play piano?"

"Hey," Emma said, pulling away and looking at him. She put her hand on his face and said, "First of all, you're _my_ one-handed pirate. And second of all, we've got Heart and Soul, what else could we need?"

"A bit cheesy, Swan, wouldn't you say?" Hook was grinning as he said it.

"I guess so. Sorry, Killian, you're stuck with me."

"Couldn't be happier about it, Emma." Hook said with a smile, kissing his fiancée again.

Emma's phone buzzed and she sighed as she looked at it. "Mom wants up to look at another venue."

"Guess our reprieve is over." Hook said, standing and walking towards the door while Emma responded to Snow's text message.

As Emma stood, she noticed a notecard on the floor. She bent over and picked it up, her eyes widening as she read the words written on it in a scrolling, perfect cursive.

 _To Killian Jones and Emma Swan on the eve of their wedding. May it serve as a reminder that everything works out the way it was intended. Yours in friendship, Merlin_

"Coming, Swan?" Hook called from the foyer.

"Yeah!" Emma responded quickly, tucking the note into the pocket of her jeans. With a wave of her hand, she moved the piano to the spare room of the home she shared with Killian. With a smile on her face, she hurried to catch up with the man she was going to marry.


End file.
